Dave Wadeley posted on August 24, 2008 17:11
After yet another week of enforced “rest” due to the recent bad weather, this week saw the Maroons up against Western Springs Wombats for another 1pm kick-off at Seddon Fields ...
A few of our regular players (including goalkeeper Blair Mason who was suffering from a bout of flu) were unavailable this week, but thanks to the services of Martin Bennett, Andy Bell and Jay Pressnell we were still able to put out a full squad.
The Maroons made a promising start and were able to apply pressure on the Western Springs goal and create a number of chances. The defence held firm until we were forced to concede a corner, the result of which was a fine save by Marty Bennett playing his first ever competitive game between the sticks. Unfortunately, there wasn’t anything he could do with the second corner which deflected in off yours truly to leave us 1-0 down. Perhaps bouyed by this element of luck, Western Springs then went on to score two break-away goals to leave us 3-0 down and facing an uphill struggle at half-time. Despite the scoreline the Maroons had plenty of positives to work on, having had the lion’s share of possession and threatening the opposition goal on a number of occassions.
The second half saw possibly some of the best football played by the 4th Team so far this season. The Maroons enjoyed the majority of possession and were able to come out of the blocks quickly with some great team play which resulted in a well-taken Graham Spinks goal. More chances followed, but unfortunately we were unable to convert them and the opposition defence held firm despite the continued pressure. Just to round off our day, Western Springs even managed to grab themselves a late goal as the result of a counter-attack and the game ended in a 4-1 defeat for the Maroons.
A disappointing result, but great credit to every Pukekohe on display today. Perhaps the most pleasing aspect of the game was the creative build-up play shown by a team who worked hard for each other and were able to pressure the opposition and create a number of goalscoring opportunities. Once we are able to convert those opportunities (which can’t be too far away now) we should see a turnaround in our fortunes and pick up a few more well deserved points.
Very difficult to single out individual players this week, but player of the day honours went to Jesse Bleeker who worked tirelessly both up front and in midfield. Credit to Marty, Andy and Jay for stepping in to bolster our defensive line-up (solid performances all round) and of course to all the regular players who continue to be a credit to the club with their sportmanship and commitment.
Next week (weather permitting) we have our derby game at home against Waiuku, a perfect opportunity for our first win!
Team: Martin Bennett, Emil Bojam, Petru Musta, Andy Bell, Donald Fleming, Dave Wadeley, Mike Thomas, Tom Shakeshaft, Shane Harneiss, Jason Harneiss, Jesse Bleeker, Mark Ellis, Jay Pressnell, Graham Spinks
Goalscorers: Graham Spinks
Final Score: Western Springs 4 – Pukekohe 1
Next Fixture: Home v Waiuku, Saturday 30th August (2:45pm)